KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD: 20 Yrs Later - Excerpt From March 2003 Epping Taxing Times

Where I come from is very simple, I AM ALWAYS PRIMARILY CONCERNED FOR THE TAXPAYERS. The function of Town government has always been to provide the taxpayers with those services that the residents by themselves can’t provide. Things such as law enforcement, fire protection, road maintenance, and so on, along with the bureaucracy needed to administer these services. These services should always be provided in the most efficient way at the highest possible productivity (in other words, give the citizen the most bang for their buck). Now warrants and budgets are a combination of two things, needs and wishes. I wish that this Town had the tax base that allowed Epping to have everything it both needs and wants. It would be great if all our roads were beautifully paved, free of frost heaves and pot-holes. In other words, I wish we lived in a world of plenty, but we don’t. Last November I received a letter from my mortgage holder saying my escrow account was deficient because my tax bill had jumped due to the tax increases that resulted from the warrant articles and the Town and School budget increases. Now I can’t speak for everybody that lives in Epping, but I can’t afford tax increases of 15% like these, every year. I am not poor, but at the same time I am not rich either. I can pay my bills, afford to eat reasonably decent food and wear clothes without holes and tatters. This doesn’t mean that my pockets are deep. This past year I have had to tighten my belt because of the economic situation that exists today. I’m retired, on a fixed income. I don’t get pay raises (Oh, sometimes a COLA in my Social Security check) and I can’t tax anybody the way government does. I don’t have too many options. Does all this mean that I’m against every warrant article and budget item? Of course not. It would be ridiculous to have that position.  

What is really needed in this Town is a group of elected officials who are more prudent and who are not afraid to make hard choices.  But...when I hear the Budget Committee say: ’Well, we recommend everything and leave it up to the voters to choose what they want,’ I say, why do we need a Budget Committee? Aren’t they assigned the hard job of keeping a lid on spending? What comes to us voters should be what is REALLY necessary for our Town and School to function.  

Maybe when the economic situation gets better, we can afford that kind of attitude, but not now. Not in this economy! I think for now, both our Town and the School should try budgets equal to last year’s figures and bite the bullet the way the rest of us have to do. Thank you for the courtesy of reading this opinion. I hope that I’ve been able to express what most feel is happening in our Town.”

2003 Editorial / edited for brevity and reprinted with permission.